Spring group



SPRING GROUP Filed Jan. 27 1945 @et 249195 v R. B. COTTRELL INVENTOR. -;e5

atented ct. 24, 1.950

SPRING GROUPy Robert B. Cottrell, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Amerv ican Steel Foundries, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of New Jersey Application January 27, 1945, Serial No. 574,887

. 8 Claims. 1

My' invention relates to a spring group for a railway car truck and more particularly to such a group incorporating friction absorbing means for controlling the oscillations of the springs.

The general object of my invention is to devise a spring group incorporating friction absorbing means of such form as to facilitate the use thereof inA combination with a plurality of coil springs in a railway car truck.

AA specific object of my invention is to devise a spring group of the type described whereby identical snubbers may be utilized at opposite ends of a group of coil springs, each snubber comprising spaced followers, one of which is adapted to house friction shoes for engagement with friction surfaces afforded by both followers.

My invention contemplates a spring group wherein a friction absorbing device may be utilized at opposite ends of the group in parallel with the coil springs conned between the spring plates, the top and bottomfollowers of each device being secured to the respective plates and one of the followers presenting spaced friction surfaces.

for engagement with friction shoes supported by the other follower and resilient means being associated with each friction'shoe and the supporting follower for urging said shoes into engagement spring plate 4, both of said spring plates beingY afforded inturned flanges 6, 6 about the perimeters thereof. Confined between the plates may be a plurality of coil springs diagrammatically indi-- cated at 8, 8, positioning means therefor being afforded by the angle irons l0, l which may be welded to the respective spring. plates as at l2, l2,

said positioning means, together with the before-vv mentioned vflanges 6, 6 of therespective plates, substantially confining each coil at its properposition within the device.

At each end of the device may be secured a friction absorbing unit, generally indicated at I4, only one of which will be described in detail inasmuch as they are identical, said friction unit comprising the top follower or housing I6 and the Y 2 bottom follower. I8 in telescoping relationship with each other.

The top follower I6 comprises the top wall 20 having spaced integral ribs 22, 22 tapering toward the adjacent flange 6 of the spring plate 2 for accommodating therebetween the tapering portion of a bolster commonly used in freight car trucks in which the spring group is particularly adapted for use. The top follower I6 also comprises the spaced side walls 24 and 26 and end walls 28, 28 merging with the top wall 20, said top wall and one of the side walls 26 being welded at their juncture as at 3U to the adjacent flange 6 of the plate Zand said side wall 26 being cored away centrally thereof as at 3l for a purpose to be described hereinafter and having the horizontal edge .defining the central bottom portion thereof welded as at 32 to the downwardly projecting extension 34 of the adjacent flange 6 of the plate '2. Each of the spaced vertical end walls 28, 28 of the top follower I6 extends downwardly from the top wall 2E! and merges at the bottom thereof with a diagonal wall 36 extending downwardly and inwardly toward the bottom follower I8, said Vertical and diagonal walls defining with the sidewalls 24 and 26 and the top wall 20 the pocket 38 at each end of the top follower. Within' each pocket is seated one of the identical friction shoes 39 in frictional engagement with the bottom follower I8, now to be described.

The bottom follower I8 is a substantially boxlike member or post comprising the spaced side walls 40, 40 and the spaced end walls 42, 42, said follower being secured to an integral upwardly extending portion 48 of the adjacent flange 6 of the spring plate 4 by means of ribs 50, 50 integral with the inner side wall 40 and extending toward the adjacent flange portion 48 and welded thereto as at 52, 52, said ribs spacing said follower from the spring plate 4 and being receivable within the opening in the side wall '2.6 of the top follower during relative vertical movement between the top andbottom followers. The end walls 42 each present a vertical friction surface 54 for frictional engagement with the associated friction shoe 39.

Each friction shoe 39 is a compact metallic structure comprising 'a diagonal friction surface 56 on one side thereof, said surface being formed and arranged for frictional engagement as at 58 with the associated diagonal wall 36 of the top follower and said shoe also comprises a front wall 60 having frictional engagement as at 62 with the associated friction surface 54 on the adjacent end wall 42 of the bottom follower. Each shoe also comprises an upstanding lug 64 adapted to be received within the lower end of a vertically disposed coil spring diagrammatically indicated at 66, said spring being seated at its lower end as at 68 against the top of the shoe and seated at its upper end against the top wall 20 of the top follower.

It will be clearly apparent to those skilled in the art that the spring 66 associated with each shoe 39 will act in a vertical plane to urge said shoe into frictional engagement with a plurality of followers, the engagement with one of said followers being in a vertical plane and the engagement with the other of said followers 4being in a diagonal plane, whereby the vertical oscillations of the coil springs confined between the spring plates will be effectively snubbed by the friction devices at each end of the spring group.

It is to be understood that I do not wish to be limited by the exact embodiment of the device shown which is merely by way of illustration and not limitation as various and other forms of the device will, of course, be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the claims.

I claim:

Y 1. In a spring group, spaced spring plates, springs between the plates, an integral flange on one of said plates for confining said springs, friction means including telescoping followers, one of said followers comprising spaced side walls, one of said side walls -being secured directly to the external side of said ange, and spring-positioning means comprising a member connected to said one plate and to the internal side of said flange in the area of connection of said flange with said side wall for reinforcing said flange and serving to position the adjacent springs;

2. In a spring group, spaced spring plates, springs between said plates, integral means on the peripheries of said plates for confining said springs on .said plates, and friction absorbing devices at oppositeends of said group, each of said devices comprising inner and outer telescoping followers, said outer follower comprising :an integrally formed housing having a horizontal wall, and spaced vertical end and side walls merging with said horizontal wall, spaced ribs on said horizontal wall connected with lone of .said side walls to said means on one of said plates, a spring-:positioning element connected to said one plate 4and to said means thereon in an area of connection of said means with said ribs and side wall and serving to strengthen said area of said means and to position the associated springs on said one plate, said inner follower being connected to said means on the other plate, a spring-,positioning element connected to said other plate and said means thereon `in the area of connection of said means with said inner follower, and friction means housed in said outer follower in frictional engagement with said followers.

3. In a spring group, top and bottom plates, coil springs confined therebetween, anda friction absorbing device at each end of said group, each of said devices comprising top and bottom followers in telescoping relationship and means connecting the same to respective plates, a friction surface at each end of one of said followers, a friction surface on the other of said followers sloping toward the adjacent first-mentioned surface, and a friction shoe in engagement with a surface on each follower, and resilient means 4 compressed between said top follower and each shoe and operativel to urge each shoe into engagement with the associated surfaces, the other follower having a slot in a wall thereof opposite the associated plate for reception of the connecting means associated with said bottom follower and said bottom plate during movement of said plates to and fro. y

4. In a spring group, top and bottom plates, coil springs confined therebetween, and a friction absorbing device at one end of said group and comprising a top follower secured to said top plate, a bottom follower, means extending between said bottom plate and said ybottom follower and connecting the same, said top follower being sleeved over said bottom follower and comprising a` housing having a top wall and side and end walls, said end walls providing spaced inwardly directed anges presenting diagonal friction surfaces adjacent friction surfaces on opposite;-'s'des:of said bottom follower, friction shoes housed in said top follower and each being engaged with a surface on an adjacent flange and a surface on said bottom follower, and resilient means compressed between said top wall and said shoes, said connecting means being received within an opening in the adjacent side wall of said top follower for accommodating relative vertical movement of said followers.

5. In a spring group, top and bottom spring plates, coil springs confined therebetween, and a friction absorbing device at each end of said group, Veach of said devices comprising an outer follower secured to said top plate, said outer follower comprising a, housing having integrally formed top and end walls, each of said end walls having inwardli7 directed anges at corresponding ends thereof, an inner follower within said outer follower, means extending between said inner follower and said bottom plate and connecting the same, diagonal friction surfaces on said flanges, vertical friction surfaces on said inner follower, friction shoes housed in said outer follower, each of said shoes being engaged with one 'of said diagonal .surfaces and one of said'vertical surfaces, and resilient means urging each shoe into engagement with both of the associated surfaces, said-outer follower having a slotin .a wall thereof facing said plates for receiving said connecting .means during movement of said followers to and fro.

6,. In a spring group, spaced top and bottom plates, `coil springs therebetween, and a friction absorbing device at one end of said group and comprising telescoping outer and inner followers, said outer follower being secured to one of said plates, means extending between and connecting `said inner follower to the other of said plates, said `outer follower comprising a onepiece housing having a top wall and end A1walls merging therewith and provided with inwardly directedy portions at corresponding ends thereof presenting diagonal friction surfaces adjacent spaced friction surfaces on said inner follower, friction shoes in engagement with respective surfaces of each follower, and resilient means reacting against said top wall and said shoes, said outer follower having a slot receiving therewithin said first-mentioned means for accommodating relative vertical movement of said followers.

'7.. In a snubber, a top follower comprising a one-piece housing having top and side walls and end walls merging therewith and having at corresponding ends thereof inwardly directed ianges presenting diagonal friction surfaces, a

bottom follower extending within said housing and presenting a vertical friction surface adjacent eaoh diagonal surface, friction shoes in said top follower, resilient means compressed between said top wall and said shoes and operative to urge said shoes into engagement with the surface on each follower, and mounting means on said bottom follower extending laterally therefrom and received within a slot in one of said side walls, said slot accommodating movement of said followers toward and away from each other.

8. In a friction absorbing device, a pair of followers in telescoping relationship, one of said followers comprising la, one-piece housing having spaced parallel end walls and spaced parallel side walls and a horizontal wall merging therewith at corresponding ends thereof, said end Walls having .angularly arranged flanges at the other corresponding ends thereof Vdirected toward the other follower, a diagonal friction surface on each flange adjacent a vertical friction surface on said other follower, friction shoes in said housing, resilient means compressed between said horizontal wall and shoes and operative to urge said shoes into engagement with a surface on each follower, and mounting means on said inner follower extending laterally therefrom and received within a slot in one of said side walls of said one follower to accommodate movement of said followers toward and away from each other.

ROBERT B. COTTRELL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,421,821 OConnor July 4, 1922 1,707,490 OConnor Apr. 2, 1929 1,907,068 Haseltine May 2, 1933 2,084,638 Goodwin June 22, 1937 2,118,006 Couch May 17, 1938 2,295,548 Cottrell Sept. 15, 1942 2,357,264 Light Aug, 29, 1944 2,378,414 Light June 19, 1945 2,399,535 Bachman Apr. 30, 1946 

